Sr. Consultant
If the goal is investment banking after an MBA, a few schools consistently dominate.
• Wharton sends a big chunk of its class into IB — offers often start around $175K base plus $50K+ signing bonus.
• Columbia Business School benefits from its NYC location, making it a major feeder for firms like Goldman Sachs and Citi.
• Chicago Booth has strong finance training and alumni networks at top banks.
• NYU Stern is also a big name for banking roles, especially for students wanting to stay in New York.
• Harvard and Stanford send smaller numbers into IB, but their brand still carries huge weight.
• Internship conversion is key — many banks hire full-time almost entirely from their summer associate pool, making internships at these schools extremely important.
• First-year total comp packages usually range from $220K to $250K when including bonuses at top firms.